Game 9 - Blue Jays @ Yankees April 6th Game Recap

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

This format worked yesterday so lets give it another go. I mean, I was going to stick with this format regardless. This offense is so frustrating right now i need to be looking for any positives I can find.

ACT I - Press Plate Coverage

At what point do we move Vladdy and Bo down the lineup? Serious question. For the second game in a row George Spring leads off with a double. Vladdy goes down 0-2 after swinging at a ball well off the plate. It was never a strike and Bo does the SAME EXACT THING going down 0-2 when swinging at a ball that was never a strike. This is pressing and these two are AWFUL when they are pressing. It’s not like there are more deserving bats in the line up to take their spot but when do we get some sort of messaging from the manager? When are the Blue Jays star players going to be told “this isn’t good enough”? Maybe they have but they are absolutely pressing at the plate. Turner, Clement and Schneider are having better looking at bats right now. Those players may not have higher averages but they are at least more competitive compared to Bo and Vlad right now.

Meanwhile…..thinking about changes for the offense. Judge and Stanton have hit home runs in the bottom of the first and I have no confidence the Blue Jays offense will catch up.

Second inning and the Blue Jays waste a one out double from Clement. The Varsho trade hurts more every at bat. Sure, good defense but when you’re watching Lourdes and Gaby tear it up in Arizona. This is the lineup the Blue Jays should be using right now. 1) Springer - his average is as garbage as the rest but two games in a row with leadoff doubles, he can stay 2) Clement - The only guy on the team with any bat consistency 3) Turner - sees a lot of pitches and is at least above 200 (at the moment) 4) Schneider - Has competitive at bats and has wheels for the 5 spot. 5) Kirk - he has some hits and has real at bats. He also clogs the base paths and I want his hits to move the guys ahead of him. 6) Vlad 7) Bo - sorry not sorry boys. Play better 8) Varsho 9) Biggio/IKR

Well, the 7-8-9 hitters for the Yankees have gotten on base in the bottom of the second inning. Gausman has no “gaus” tonight. The velo is just not there and there is no swing and miss for a pitcher that lives on swing and miss. This game might be a write off. I’m glad they got the first game in the series. They still have a chance to take the series win back home for their home opener where I hope the lineup gets out of this funk. I don’t enjoy writing recaps like this.

Here is a positive. The Blue Jays have had a runner on base in each of the first three innings. We’re desperately searching for baby steps and this is one. The Blue Jays manage to score a run on a sac fly in the third inning. Two on, no out, Vlad-Bo-Turner-Voglebach coming to the plate and we get a pop up, weak single, sac fly, weak fly out to center. Not good enough, but what we’ve come to expect from the heart of this Blue Jays lineup.

Act II - Hope Springer Eternal

The Blue Jays are in chip away mode and Springer is 2 for 2 with a walk. I was looking for something to come from one of the stars in this series and George Springer is showing some change in how he is playing at the plate. The Jays are down 4 and have has runners on base in every inning. The game isn’t lost but the light burns brightly enough to be seen from where we are, deep in the forest.

A little more hope comes from Bo when he draws a walk. i’m shocked they are throwing more sliders that move away from the plate. Even if you walk a couple batters, the Jays are so inept at the plate right now, you can bet they will strike out or GIDP. Case in point, Voglebach just struck out in an at-bat he fell behind 0-2.

Now Rizzo gets going and hits a 2-run home run. All the work the Jays put in to score their two runs and Rizzo erases it with one swing. Turns out that out pitching your problems is very difficult.

Act III - I’m Looking Forward to the Warm Weather Too

Vladdy hits a home run in the 7th inning. Too late to make a difference in this game but a step toward getting right. BO follows up the home run with a double down the left field line. The first two games will probably end in a split, but these are the positives they need to win the series tomorrow and take a win into their home opener on Monday.

We’re watching the Jays try to mount a comeback and they just don’t have enough or the mountain is too tall to climb. Vladdy takes a walk in the 8th and Voglebach hits a double the previous inning. There are flashes and really do find this game to be slightly encouraging. More encouraging than the win on Friday. Maybe the Jays just need to hang on for another couple of weeks for the funk to work itself out. Eat some home cooking and the hits will start rolling in.

Give Me, A Hit to Build a Dream On

The lineup showed some life in this game. That is the only thing that matters in this result. Losing isn’t fun, but finding some offensive flow that this team desperately needs is something we can take into tomorrow’s rubber match.

Season (4-5) Player of the Game: Davis Schneider (2) Play this man more often!!!

Season PotG: WINS: Biggio (1), Schneider (1), Turner (1), Kikuchi (1) LOSSES: Springer (2), Varsho (1), Kiermaier (1)

The Rest of the East

Tampa Bay (4-5) - The conditions in Colorado looked awful. Who wants to play baseball in that kind of cold wind? What a turn-around and what a great summary of life as Rockies fan. The game looked secure. The Rays’ bats were kept down in the wind and the offense scored 6 runs and took a 5 run lead into the late innings. The the wheels fell off. The persistent Rays started hitting, and running, and scoring. With both of the bottom teams in the AL East showing some fight, maybe this division will be more interesting that the two team race I was thinking it would be a week ago?

Baltimore (5-3) - The comeback kids came back but fell short in their quest for the victory. Even after a slow start they bats got going and they tied the game. I saw all of extras and that was fun. They are in a good place. Losses happen, go win the series tomorrow.

New York (7-2) - The Yankees scored a lot of runs early and the Blue Jays were never able to catch up. It was more of a game than I think Yankee fans would have wanted to see. However, Judge, Rizzo and Stanton all hit home runs and Yankee fans are waiting with held breath for their stars to star rolling as well. The sweep at home has been avoided, and the top of the division is still in New York. The Yankee bullpen, yikes.

Boston (6-3) - The Red Sox are 13th out of 15 AL teams in errors and an error cost them today. Looks like they lost a coin flip and they were not able to make up for it. This is why I am cautious on making a conclusion about this team. The soft schedule, the high error count and that Trevor Story injury looked bad. I hope he makes a full recovery. Still, they have the second best record in the division and they can still win their series against the Angels on Sunday. That’s all you ask for each series. Split the 4 gamers and 2 out of 3 the 3 gamers.